Improvement in carpet-sweepers



E. K. BRECKENRIDGE.

CARPET-SWE-EPER.

Patented m. 23 1877.

j N5. 1 a e .455

N-PETERSA PNOTD-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFrron' ELIASK. BRECKENRIDGE, OF WEST MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARPET-SWEEPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 186,456, dated January 23, 1877 applicationfiled November 11, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELIAS K. BRECKEN- RIDGE, of West Meriden, in .the county of New Haven and State of- Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Carpet-Sweepers; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be. a fu1l, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and rep that class of sweepers in which a brush ar-- ranged within a case is caused to revolve by the friction of a roll upon the floor, the brush conveying the sweepings into a receiver 5 and it consists in details of construction, as herein described, and specially recited in the claims.

The general outline of the case, or the construction of the brush proper, does not differ materially from usual constructions. Both ends are constructed from cast metal, with an internal flange around its edge, as seen in Fig. 6. In this flange is formed a notch, or, at the top, at the point where the cover is hinged;

another notch, 12, at the bottom, forward of the brush-opening another, d, at the bottom, in rear of the brush-opening. A tin, for forming the front of the case, is bent around the outer surface of the flange from ato b, and its end turned ,in, as at e 6, Fig. 2, which firmly secures that part of the case to the ends. The bottom is, in like manner, turned back, as indicated at f, Fig. 2, leaving the space open between .0 f, through which the brush will work. This method of securing the bottom and front prevents their accidental detachment, as well as strengthens their exposed edges against indentation. The front of the case isforined ofcast metal, in the usual manner.

The brush A is hung upon a lever, B, at

each end. This lever is constructed, as seen in 4, with a boss, C, at one end, concentric with a toothed segment,"D, at the other end, and eccentrically on the boss U a stud,

h, is form or attached. This boss C rests in a bearing, E, in the end, as seen inFig. 3. The

stud h extends into the center or body of the.

brush A, and forms abearing upon which the brush. will freely turn.

To receive the lever B inits bearing a notch,

V notch coactin g substantially like what is commonly called a bayonetjoint.

Longitudinally through the case a shaft, F, is run, with a pinion, t, at each end, working into a segmental gear on the lever B. A head, H, or other concentric device for turning the shaft, is applied at one end. By turning this shaft F the lever at both ends will be correspondi'ngly turned and owing to the eccentricity of the studs hto the boss Corlever-bearings, it follows that the stud h will be raised or lowered, accordingly as the lever is turned, and will, to that extent, raise or lower the brush. Through this device the brush may be adjusted relatively to the floor, so as to take a stronger or lighter stroke.

Instead of the segmental gear, the levers may be set at any point of elevation by a setscrew arranged for the purpose; yet the gears are preferable.

On one end of the brush a pulley, n, is formed, (see Fig. 3,) and inclosed by a flange, m, on the end, and from this flange an external recess, I, is formed in the pulley end, through which the belt passes from the drivlug-pulley L to the pulley on the brush; hence the belt is inclosed within the plane of the end on the outside, and the flange m inside protects the belt, to prevent the sweepings from being drawn in to the pulley or hearing. The pulley L is arranged on a shaft, N, in front, in suitable bearings, and on this. shaft, at the center, a friction-roll, P, is attached. This roll ranged midway of the length of the case, and

forms a pivot, upon which the sweeper may be easily turnedto the right or left without affecting the revolution of the brusha difficulty experienced in the usual construction, where a long driving-roll is employed.

The handle R is hung concentric with the shaft, and provided with a latch, S, which will engage with either of several notches on a disk, T, fixed to the shaft, so that the handle may be set upright or secured in any desired position. a When set upright, as in Fig. 1, the whole apparatus will remain standing, without the liability of the handle falling, as in the usual hinged bail-shaped connection; or the case may be lifted from the floor,by the handle without tilting, as in the case of free handles. A stop, t, is arranged in the path of the handle above and below, so as to prevent the handle from turning in either direction beyond the point where the handle comes in contact with the stops.

W is a receptacle for the sweepings, which are removed by opening the covcrX, in the usual manner.

- I do not wish to be understood as claiming constructing the lower surface of the box inclosed, with the exception of an opening through which the brush operates, so that the whole bottom of the box forms a bearing upon the floor when in use, as I am not the inventor of that construction.

I claim- 1. In a carpet-sweeper, substantially such as described, the ends constructed with internal flanges, with notches a b d formed therein, and the edges of the sheet-metal surface turned within the said notches asa means of securing the same, substantially as described. 1

2. In a carpet-sweeper, the levers B, constructed with a concentric boss, 0, for a bearing, in the end, combined with the eccentric stud h, to form the bearing upon which the brush revolves, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a carpet-sweeper, the levers B, constructed with a concentric boss, 0, for a bear ing, in the end, combined with the eccentric stud h, to form the bearing upon which the brush revolves, and connected pinions 2', for simultaneously adjusting the said levers, substantially as described.

4. In a carpet-sweeper, the levers B, constructed with a concentric boss, 0, for a hearing, in the end of the case, and with a lug, :20, combined with a corresponding notch, 10, in the bearing in the case, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a carpet-sweeper, the driving end of the sweeper, constructed with an external recess, I, to inclose the driving-belt, substantially as described.

6. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination of the narrow roll P, arranged midway of the length of the sweeper, so as to act as a pivot on which to turn the sweeper, substantially as described.

7. In a carpet-sweeper, the handle hung directly to the shaft, and combined with a springlatch, S, hung in said handle, and the notched stationary disk T, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ELIAS K. BRECKENRIDGE. Witnesses:

J. H. SHUMWAY,

CLARA BROUGHTON. 

